‘Agnipath’: The Supreme Court must hear us before making a decision, the Centre said
The government has filed a caveat in the Supreme Court, requesting that the court “hear its side” before ruling on the petitions challenging the ‘Agnipath’ military recruitment plan. Three petitions have been filed in the Supreme Court so far against ‘Agnipath,’ the government’s short-term military recruitment plan. The caveat, on the other hand, makes no mention of any specific request.
On Monday, advocate Harsh Ajay Singh filed a case in the Supreme Court, requesting that the centre reconsider its ‘Agnipath’ recruitment scheme. The petition further stated that the scheme’s unveiling sparked protests in several parts of the country. Lawyers ML Sharma and Vishal Tiwari have already filed two separate cases in the Supreme Court against the scheme. The government has overturned the century-old selection procedure for the armed services, according to the petition filed by attorney ML Sharma, in violation of constitutional rules and without parliamentary sanction.
In a petition filed last week, attorney Vishal Tiwari sought the Supreme Court to appoint a committee to investigate the scheme and its impact on national security and the Army. It also asked the Supreme Court to order the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to look into the widespread violence against the scheme that resulted in the destruction of public property.After the centre revealed the ‘Agnipath’ concept on June 14, protests erupted in numerous states. People aged 17.5 to 21 will be conscripted into the military forces for a four-year period, after which they would be forced to resign without gratuity or pension benefits. In an effort to appease the demonstrators, the government later increased the upper age limit for enlistment to 23 years in 2022.
The idea has been criticised by several political parties as well as certain military veterans. They claim that the four-year term will dampen the soldiers’ fighting spirit and make them risk-averse.
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